GOD has Already Prepared the Way

I positively LOVE this! My dear friend, author Paula Scott Bicknell, posted this meme yesterday, and when I read it, the truth of it hit me like a heavy rain shower, washing away all the doubt and fear that was building up inside me. See, I'd received two emails shortly before reading this meme. One held good news. The other, not so much. Neither are life-altering, but they're about something I've been praying about for several months. Something I really, really want to happen, yet have absolutely no control over.

Have you ever felt that? Fear and doubt about the future? I'm sure you have! Let me share six words of truth that will alleviate it.

GOD HAS ALREADY PREPARED THE WAY!

Here's a little example of that:

Two years ago we knew our job in Texas was coming to an end. We were looking for a new position, but nothing opened up before we found ourselves unemployed for eight weeks. But you know what?

GOD HAD ALREADY PREPARED THE WAY!

Walking at our boss's lake house in Kentucky, basking in
God's goodness to us. This is where He reminded me that He
prepared this place for me long before I arrived!

While we waited in Texas to see where God would take us, He was working here in Tennessee, clearing the way for us. It's amazing to look back and see how he arranged people and situations, almost like a giant chess board, throwing open the doors for us to live and work in the most wonderful place, for the most wonderful employers.

How do I know God worked out all the details? There is absolutely no way it could have simply been coincidence. The job we ended up getting--working as a couple on a large property--wasn't the job that was advertised. They originally were only looking to hire my husband. But we trusted God would provide a job for me too, and continued through the interview process. And you know what?

GOD HAD ALREADY PREPARED THE WAY!

The property owner wanted to meet me too since I'd be living on the property. After Skyping with them a couple times, they liked me so much they offered me a job!

YES, GOD HAD ALREADY PREPARED THE WAY!

I can look back through so many situations in my life and see that even when I thought things were at their worst, when I'd lost all hope, GOD HAD ALREADY PREPARED THE WAY!

My prayer is this truth will resonate with you today and bring you hope that you are never alone, you are never forgotten, and you are always loved by our Heavenly Father! This song by Casting Crowns speaks to this in such a beautiful way! Enjoy!

Blessings,

~Michelle

Valleys and Mountaintops

I've been reading in Psalm 23 lately. It's such a short little psalm, and yet it packs so many powerful truths.

Hubby and I are in Colorado this week. We traveled here with our sweet boss to visit her brother. His estate is absolutely gorgeous, and admittedly we are being spoiled rotten. We have our own private suite overlooking the Rocky Mountains, with snow-covered pine trees right out my window. We've enjoyed seeing the deer, snow falling, and gorgeous sunsets.

As I read through Psalm 23 yesterday morning, I realized I would not be here in this beautiful place with these people I've come to love had I not walked through "a valley of the shadow of death" back in 2017. In August of that year, we lost our job working as caretakers of a large ranch in Texas. We trusted God had plans for us, but those eight weeks we waited to discover his plans were some of the longest of our lives.

Now as I look back on those days, I'm so incredibly thankful for them! I'm so thankful God heard my cry and removed us from a situation that wasn't good for us anymore. I was emotionally exhausted and hubby was physically exhausted, so it was definitely time to move on.

Every day we thank God for bringing us to Tennessee to work for the most wonderful, funny, and generous boss. We are blessed beyond measure. As King David said in Psalm 23, the cup the LORD prepared for us truly is overflowing, and we are basking in his goodness and mercy. Valleys are part of life, but so are mountaintops. And my mountaintop is currently snow-covered and glorious.

If you are walking through a dark valley, hang in there! God's ways are not our ways, but his plans are always, always good!! Your mountaintop is just ahead!

Blessings,

~Michelle


Psalm 23 King James Version (KJV)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Lessons from Ruth

I'm reading in the Book of Ruth these days. It's a very small book, only four chapters long, about an obscure woman named Ruth. She wasn't a queen or a descendant of Abraham or anyone special...or so it seems.

Do you feel like that sometimes? No one special? I do. As the youngest of five children, I often felt unseen. I was shy and quiet in school, so no one paid much attention to me. I've outgrown much of that shyness, but I'm still a relatively quiet person. I'd rather let everyone else be the center of attention and stand back in the shadows.

Ruth's story is a story of hope for everyone, but it's especially hopeful for people like me, the shadow lurkers. Ruth was born in Moab. Her husband's family had come to Moab because there was famine in their home country. They were of the Hebrew, or Jewish, faith, but Ruth was not. After Ruth's husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law all died, Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, decided to return to the land of her birth. Ruth insisted on going with her, leaving behind her own blood relatives. When they reached Bethlehem, Ruth worked hard to provide for her mother-in-law by picking up leftover wheat in a field being harvested. The owner of the field, Boaz, turned out to be a godly relative of Ruth's father-in-law, and he married Ruth. They had a son named Obed who had a son named Jesse who had a son named David who became King!

What if Ruth hadn't gone with Naomi--hadn't obeyed what her heart was telling her was right--and had instead stayed in her homeland? King David would have never been born!

God had plans for Ruth that she could have never dreamed possible. He saw her there in Moab and chose her, not a Hebrew woman, to be the great grandmother of King David. She is listed in Matthew 1 in the lineage of Jesus! We remember her today and tell her story because of her obedience, her faith even when she didn't know what was ahead of her.

Ruth's story tells us to never give up and always trust God's plan even when it seems too big, too scary, too unknown. He sees the whole picture in a way we can't and probably never will. We don't know if Ruth lived to see David on the throne, but her obedience made it possible.

Is God asking you to trust him today about something?

Ruth's advice would be simple: Do it! You won't ever regret it! Always remember that He is El Roi, the God who sees you, knows you, and knows the plans He has for you!

Have a fabulous day! And be sure to enter the drawing for FREE books! I'm giving away a whole bunch of books at the end of January. Some of mine, some by favorite authors, and some Chicken Soup for the Soul books that have my stories included in them. All you have to do is type your email address in the "sign up for my blog" box at the top right of this blog page. Easy peasy! Winners will be notified by email. (US residents only, please!)

Blessings,

~Michelle

Finding HOPE in the New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The last few years I've chosen a word to sort of embody the new year. I try not to simply pick a word I like, but rather a word that is on my heart and in my spirit. A word I need to learn more about, to really dig into.

2017 was a year of TRUST. On January 1st I wrote that word on a rock I found on the property in Texas where we were living and working. I also included the scripture reference I felt God had given me to remind me to trust Him: "Taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who trusteth in Him." (Psalm 34:8) I had several things in mind that I needed to trust him for and set about praying for them. As you may have guessed, they were NOT the things I truly needed to trust God with. In August of that year we lost our jobs. We spent the next eight weeks learning to trust God's plan and His provision. Our faithful Father knew what our future held when I chose the word Trust, and He taught us that no matter what challenges we face in life, we are His children. In October we left Texas and moved to Tennessee to begin our new jobs working as Caretakers of a beautiful farm owned by a beautiful widow who truly loves and appreciates us. I look back on 2017 with joy and gladness of heart because I learned the deeper meaning of trust.

2018 was a year of REST. After all the excitement and stress of 2017, I needed rest. Rest of body. Rest of mind. And rest of soul. I claimed Hebrews 4 in the Message Bible for the new year. The word "rest" appears in this passage ten times! King David also spoke of rest in Psalm 62:1 & 5: "My soul finds rest in God alone; my hope comes from him." I learned that rest doesn't mean being lazy and laying around. It means pausing from life's worries and busyness to remember that God is God and we are not. We can safely rest in Him and His love.

Because I rested so well in the LORD through 2018, I find myself raring to go in 2019! As I pondered what word to chose, I kept coming back to Expectation. While we were in Texas over the Christmas holiday, we took our boys to the coast for a family vacation. I found a sweet little rock on the beach that would be perfect for my word of the year, and suddenly I knew what it was: HOPE. The definition of hope is "a feeling of expectation and a desire for a certain thing to happen; to expect with confidence; trust. I don't know exactly what I'm expecting, but I know it will be good. God is our Father and He loves pouring out blessings on his children. Yes, he also disciplines when we go astray and disobey, but His heart is that of a loving Daddy, our Abba. He already knows what 2019 holds, so I'm heading into it with expectation--with hope!--willing to go wherever He leads.

My heart's prayer for 2019 for myself and for you is found in one of my favorite verses:

"May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Blessings to you and yours in the New Year!

~Michelle

P.S. Here are some more of my favorite verses that talk about Hope:

Psalm 33:18-22
Jeremiah 29:11
Psalm 42:11
Isaiah 40:31
Hebrews 11:1
Hebrews 10:23

Laughter Hides Their Silent Cries

"Laughter hides their silent cries."

That is one of the lines in the song, "People Need the Lord" by Steve Green. This week, we know the truth in those words. I was stunned, along with the rest of the world, to hear the news about Actor and Comedian Robin Williams and how he took his own life. I can't even imagine the depth of pain one must feel to do such a horrific deed. By the world's standards, he had it all. Fame, fortune, adoring fans. But the stories coming out also tell of drugs and alcohol and depression. My heart hurts for his family.

People need the Lord.

I have no idea what Robin Williams believed about Jesus Christ. I don't know where he will spend eternity. He made his life choices about these things. There is no turning back the clock. His life on earth, with all the earthly treasures he accumulated, is over.

People need the Lord.

There are people in my life who need the Lord. Friends. Loved ones. A family I pray for daily. When will they realize, the song lyrics go. But it also goes on to say, "They must hear the words of life only we can share."

Did anyone share those words of life with Robin? We'll probably never know. But there may be folks each of us knows who are, like Robin Williams, at the end of their hope. We have to open our mouths and shed the light on THE Hope of the world.

People need the Lord.

"Lord, help me share the hope found only in You!"